24 workers have died in Kurdistan Region since start of 2026, union says

SULAYMANIYAH — 24 workers have died in the Kurdistan Region since the beginning of 2026, a labor union official said Thursday, as workers marked International Workers’ Day.

Osman Zindani, head of the construction workers’ union in Sulaymaniyah, told 964media that the deaths occurred across the region in the first four months of the year.

Although May 1 fell on a Friday this year, some daily laborers continued to gather in search of work near the Azadi neighborhood in Sulaymaniyah, an area that has become a gathering point for day workers.

“Our work requires us to keep working even during our holidays to earn a living,” one worker told 964media. Another, who requested anonymity, said he holds a diploma but cannot find stable employment. “Private sector salaries are very low and do not cover daily living expenses, and in the public sector they say jobs are voluntary, but volunteering does not provide me with an income,” he said.